Why Top 45?

These are the things that float to the top of my list of activities that I want to do for the year 2012 when I am 45 years old. The list is comprised of things that I have either never tried or have wanted to try and just didn't have the courage or time to do it. Follow along and watch my progress and feel free to comment or add words of encouragement to help keep me going for the next 365 days!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Primary Inspiration

So, I know this may sound corny, but I am going to have to say that one of my primary inspirations for my Top 45 would have to be my mom. She has not had the easiest life, except for maybe a few fun years as a kid growing up in a hotel in Haiti, and rarely do I hear her complain. She may mention on occasion some odd thing that happened to her throughout her life, but it is often in a matter of fact way and not a 'poor me' way. She grew up in Haiti and a few years after her parents divorced, her mother moved her back to NYC where she started working at a young age. Her father disappeared when she was 23 in Haiti and was never seen again, likely killed by someone because of his former ranking as Colonel in the Haitian military.

When she was in her early 20s she met my father in New York and proceeded to be pregnant or have a newborn for the next 16 years of her life giving birth to 8 children. She has provided and been there for us as much as she can and still gets up and works on a regular basis as a realtor at the age of 72. She is mother to so many 'adopted' children and adults the number is staggering. She is like The Giving Tree only better because while she may give a lot of herself, there is still plenty there to keep on giving because she gets her strength from within and people recognize her for how giving she is to them. She has given to me so many times and sometimes at really critical moments telling me that I can do it and that I can make it through to the other side.

My mom is the Energizer bunny and like a Timex watch all rolled into one...she keeps going and going and going and she can take a licking and keep on ticking.